


The cruelty of the beast

by Miishae



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, mcyt
Genre: Bruises, Gen, Manipulation, Mention of Death, Mention of abuse, Mention of torture, Mind Control, Ranboo & TommyInnit Friendship (Video Blogging RPF), Sad Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Whump (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Wilbur Soot, Violence, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, dark!fic, please read at your own risk, this is a really dark au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29936229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miishae/pseuds/Miishae
Summary: Dream resurrects Wilbur, and the pair immediately take Tommy and Ranboo with them into hiding. They have big plans for the future, and it's not looking good for the world. Tommy and Ranboo have no idea if they're able to escape and go back home. The question is, do they even want to go back?Set immediately after Tommy's revival stream, and the fic takes a really dark turn. Please read at your own risk.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 196





	1. Chapter 1

The sirens ring across the SMP, alerting the other members toward the prison location. No matter what anyone’s doing, they all rush toward the building to stand around and watch whatever chaos is happening.

Tubbo and Ranboo are most curious, stepping in front of the crowd. The prison looks as normal as it normally does. Admittedly, Tubbo doesn’t want to be here. He almost wants to nudge Ranboo and trudge back to Snowchester, but something is keeping him rooted in place. Maybe it’s the morbid curiosity. Maybe Sam’s finally dragging Tommy’s body out of the cell. If that was the case, then why is he sounding the alarms? Is there something more going on?

There’s a silence when the sirens finally stop, leaving a ringing in Tubbo’s ears. He leans against Ranboo for comfort, something heavy settling in his stomach. This isn’t looking good for anyone. He watches as Sam walks out of the lobby, staring straight ahead and looking shell-shocked. Tubbo knows that expression even from a distance. Something had happened inside the prison that he’s definitely never going to mention.

That’s not all. Behind Sam, hunched over and hugging himself, is Tommy.

Tommy, who’s very much alive and not dead. Tommy looks _awful._ Tubbo fights back his initial glee over seeing Tommy alive, but there’s something off about him. Tommy is covered in bruises and cuts, and looks very much like he’d just been beaten to death.

Sam had mentioned that, but Tubbo had brushed it off. He hadn’t understood the implications until just now, and the sight is making him feel sick to his stomach. With a small gasp, Tubbo steps back, now wanting more than ever to leave and go _home._ This isn’t right, everything about this situation isn’t right. He can barely look at Tommy anymore, or the condition Tommy’s in. Fresh waves of anger wash over Tubbo as well, now directed toward Sam. He’d left Tommy alone!

“Tubbo, wait,” Ranboo whispers. “I see something else.”

Tubbo stays, only for Ranboo. Being alone isn’t ideal right now, so he swallows his anger and forces himself to keep watching.

Dream is coming out next. Dream’s mask is in place, but his aura is radiating a sort of smugness. Tubbo lets himself drown in the anger. He wants to lash forward and deliver the same treatment to Dream that Dream had given Tommy. Once again, he glances over at Tommy. The teen is staring down at the ground, curling in on himself as if…

“Tommy!” Tubbo yells, waving his arms. “Tommy, over here!”

“No, I don’t think so,” Dream replies instead. He marches over and puts a hand on Tommy’s shoulder, yanking the teen closer. “See, we have plans, Tommy and I.”

“Why are you out?” Ranboo calls. “Sam, why did you let him out? What the hell is going on?”

Tommy continues to say nothing, staring at the ground. The expression on his face is haunting. Tubbo has a suspicion he’s lost Tommy for good. If not to trauma, then to Dream. The anger is snuffed out, leaving him feeling cold. Tommy had completely shattered, leaving nothing but a trembling, sad shell in his place.

“Oh, I had a little fun in prison,” Dream says. His tone is so casual as he pulls Tommy back toward the lobby. “Before you all kill me, just wait a second.”

The crowd as a whole starts murmuring. Tubbo can hear angry whispers, some of them directed toward Dream, other suspecting Tommy and Dream of working together. There are even angry hisses directed at _Sam._ Surely not… this is Tubbo’s worst nightmare come true. Pinching himself only hurts, which means this isn’t just a nightmare, but it’s a nightmare he’s forced to live through.

Just as suddenly as the crowd stirs, it falls silent. The silence is thick and terrifying. Tubbo’s finding it hard to breathe as his gaze snaps back toward the lobby. Everything now makes sense, and he’s colder than he had been minutes ago.

No, he’s not cold. Tubbo’s terrified.

Marching out, with a netherite pickaxe resting over his shoulder, with a trenchcoat on, a haunted, smug expression that screams _dark_ is someone who was dead. Who should still be dead.

He too stands next to Tommy and Dream. Tubbo doesn’t miss Tommy silently crying now as another hand presses down on the teen’s shoulder.

This isn’t Ghostbur anymore. Tubbo can see that Ghostbur is long dead and gone, and was only a temporary relief from _this_ form.

This is Wilbur.

This is Wilbur alive. Standing next to Dream as if they’re old friends.

They’re holding onto Tommy.

“Sam?” Tubbo asks. “Sam what-”

“I had no choice,” Sam whispers. “I’m so sorry everyone, I… I’m so sorry. They forced me.”

“Sup everyone,” Wilbur says with a smirk on his lips and a laugh in his voice. He lifts his chin to grin out at the crowd. The grin on his face is cold and humorless, and the expression in his eyes screams madness. “Did you miss me?”

Tubbo feels faint. Again, he tugs at Ranboo and the two turn to leave. Except, Ranboo stops cold. When Tubbo turns to plead with him, he’s met with a terrifyingly blank stare.

“Tubbo?” Tommy finally speaks up. He sounds so _broken._ “Tubbo, I’m sorry. They’re in control now. I’m so sorry, Tubbo I love you…”

Ranboo is drawing out a sword and lifting it up into the air. Tubbo watches in slow motion as it’s brought down. He closes his eyes and waits for the strike. It never comes.

When he opens his eyes, Ranboo is walking away to join the crowd in front of the prison lobby. Dream and Wilbur are passing out ender pearls between them, Tommy and Ranboo, and then the four are gone, disappeared out of sight.

Tubbo collapses to his knees, unable to force a sob out. He doesn’t let himself move, even as he feels Puffy and Sam lift him and carry him away.

Thank god for unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Rubbing his hands together, Tommy tries to grab as much heat from the fire as he can. At least this is a _house_ of some sort, and not some empty cave like he’d envisioned, but he still feels cold and numb. It’s like no amount of heat is going to change his temperature.

Tommy _knows _why he feels so numb. He can hear the sources of his fresh trauma right behind him, chatting so jovially as if they’re talking about video games as opposed to _bringing down the server._ Tommy doesn’t want to talk to either of them, but his only other source of company is still in some weird trance right next to him. Ranboo’s guarding Tommy with a sword out and laid across his lap, staring creepily. Tommy wants to punch him.__

__He tries to ignore Ranboo as long as possible, with minutes ticking by slowly. Every time he shifts or coughs, Ranboo tightens his grip on his sword. Eventually, there’s a lull in the conversation behind him, so Tommy turns his head to glare._ _

__“Dream, can you _please_ call your watchdog off?” Tommy finally growls. “You don’t have to babysit me so closely.” He scoots away from Ranboo, glaring at the ground. Tommy doesn’t even react as Wilbur drapes a blanket across his shoulders._ _

__“You seem cold, Tommy. You’re trembling.”_ _

__“I bet I could make you tremble,” Tommy grumbles. He wraps the blanket tighter around himself anyway. “Why do you need me anyway? Go off and be evil with Dream. Let me go home with Tubbo.”_ _

__“Tubbo’s not here,” Wilbur says. There’s amusement in his voice, so Tommy shoots him another glare._ _

__“You know what I meant, stop being an asshole. I want to go _home.”__ _

__“We are home.” Dream moves closer, resting a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “You and Ranboo, me and Wilbur? We’re going to be one big happy family. Ranboo will even come to accept it, once we all see you’re not going to run anymore.”_ _

__Tommy stares at Dream for a minute before turning toward Ranboo. “Hey, Ranboob, am I safe enough for you to snap out of it and put your sword away?”_ _

__“I don’t know,” Ranboo finally says, sounding groggy. “That’s up to Dream.”_ _

__“Are you with us or are you still under his control?” Tommy still wants to punch him in the face. Mind control or no, Ranboo has been pissing him off a lot lately._ _

__“You know, that’d be an easy question to answer if I didn’t feel funny.” Ranboo puts a grin on his face, but he leans back, looking around. He’s definitely awake now. “Where are we anyway?”_ _

__“We’re in a new house,” Wilbur offers. “Welcome back, Ranboo.” Wilbur drops a second blanket on the enderman hybrid. “Dream and I have food cooking for you two, and there are beds next to ours.”_ _

__“Something about this isn’t sitting right with me,” Ranboo says. “Why are we here, and what are you planning on doing with us?”_ _

__“Oh, you weren’t in the prison,” Tommy grunts. “Dream and Wilbur had a lovely chat about us and what they want with us. See, we’re their puppets. I’m pretty sure you already knew that.”_ _

__“Um, no?” Ranboo laughs in disbelief. “I was with Tubbo. We were going to go back to Snowchester. I was supposed to keep him safe.”_ _

__“Of _course_ you were with Tubbo,” Tommy snaps. “Everyone’s with fucking Tubbo. Everyone’s always checking on him and having a laugh with him. I’m trapped in prison and killed and all I get is _‘hey Tommy I’m going to keep you as my toy now.’_ Can someone just pay attention to me, for fucking once?”_ _

__“Tommy that’s-” Ranboo starts to say, but Wilbur cuts him off by leaning in between them. He gives Tommy a wide grin that Tommy shrinks back from._ _

__“Tommy, remember all the good times we had?” Wilbur asks. “You and me, specifically. Remember how L’Manburg started, remember our time in Pogtopia? We can have that again. Come on, you never wanted the country. You wanted _me._ You wanted to play with your big brother. We can be brothers again, you know. You just have to relax. Let your guard down.”_ _

__“You’re sided with Dream.” Tommy’s voice is flat as he jerks his head toward the entity in question. “Dream’s got Ranboo under some sort of spell. He threatened to kill Tubbo and everyone else. He _killed_ me, remember? Why would I want to side with you?”_ _

__“Because, deep down inside Tommy, you want this. If you’d stop lying to yourself for once, you’d know you wanted me back all along, you never wanted the country, you never wanted the wars.”_ _

__“Of course I didn’t want the wars!” Tommy yells. “I never wanted any of this to happen! I never wanted to lose my discs, I never wanted to lose my friends, or be exiled, or be trapped with a _loser_ who fucking killed me. Just to prove a point, I might add! I never wanted any of this to happen, I just wanted-”_ _

__He cuts himself off there. The words that had almost come out of his mouth had been _‘I just wanted to impress you’,_ and that would be proving Wilbur completely correct. Admitting that would mean he has no choice, and Tommy doesn’t want to give in._ _

__Wilbur is too smart for him though, and judging by the expression on his face, he already knows what Tommy was going to say. “So, be my brother again. We may not be Tubbo or Mexican Dream or Sam or anyone you care about, but you and Ranboo can be best friends. You and Dream can bury the hatchet. You and me? We can be a family again.”_ _

__“Ranboo doesn’t want this either,” whispers Tommy. “Ranboo wants to go home too.”_ _

__“Ranboo wants to stay with me.” The confidence and sheer arrogance in Dream’s voice is terrifying. “Ranboo will stay with all of us if neither of you want anyone else to die.”_ _

__“I-” Ranboo sounds caught off guard. “You’re just going to kill everyone anyway, aren’t you? Isn’t that your entire point of kidnapping us?”_ _

__“No, I’m going to start anew,” Dream corrects. “This server has too much history and attachments, and as long as those are there, I’m never going to have it back. So Wilbur and I talked. People flock to you and Tommy for whatever reason, so you’re ours. We can use you to start over.”_ _

__“What do you mean, start over?” Ranboo’s gaze darts back and forth between Dream and Wilbur. “By starting over-”_ _

__“-I mean we’re going to…what was it Techno said? _Chunk error-_ the entire server. Everyone’s houses, everyone’s countries and lands and homes, no matter how far out. We’re going to reset the world.”_ _

__“You’re both _mad,”_ Tommy snaps. “You’re _insane!_ Why the fuck do you think either of us are going to go along with it?”

Wilbur presses his hands down on Tommy’s shoulders, before leaning down enough to rest his chin on Tommy’s head. “Because I know you, Toms. You crave attention and affection. You crave friendship and something more meaningful than material items. You’ve been stretched and used and hurt too many times, so I’m going to promise you and end to the torment and pain. You don’t want to be a hero, you want to be free.”

He doesn’t have a response for this.

Wilbur continues. “Ranboo wants to be left alone, Dream tells me. He wants an end to the conflicts and sides and bickering. This is our goal. Call us evil and extreme, call us names, call us whatever you want.”

“Just don’t call me Shirly,” Dream stage-whispers. Tommy can’t resist a snort at that.

“Dream and I, we’ll take care of you both,” Wilbur says. Fingers curl through Tommy’s hair, and he has to admit it feels nice. It’s soothing, calming, and he’s leaning into the touch before he can stop himself. “You and Ranboo will have peace, alright? Just stay with us, and you’ll never get hurt again.”

“Dream hurt me,” Tommy whispers. “He hurt me a lot.”

“Wilbur and I have an agreement. He gets you, and I’m not to lay a finger on you, and I get Ranboo. Wilbur’s not to lay a finger on him. We both thought it was a fair trade off.”

“Shouldn’t we have a say in this?” Ranboo asks. “Considering we’re actual, living beings, and not your toys?”

“Everyone wants a say, until they don’t. Wilbur and I are going to make all the decisions. Your job is to follow orders and stay close.”

Tommy can’t see how they’re going to get out of this one. His brain is also turning to mush because of the repetitive motion in his hair. It’s starting to make him feel sleepy.

“It’s settled then,” Dream says with a clap. “You’re ours, and you’re both going to realize that the four of us will be happy. We’ll make things better for _everyone.”_

Tommy closes his eyes. He still hates this, but a small part of him, a part he’s no longer suppressing, agrees that Wilbur is right. Tommy wanted him all along, and having him alive and here, and sounding so _comforting,_ is too nice to ignore.

“As long as that green bastard stays away from me,” he finally says. “No more calling me his toy, or saying I’m too much fun. I just…”

“No more,” Wilbur confirms. “You’re under my protection now. I’ve got you now and forever Tommy, my Tommy.”

“Okay.”

Ranboo shifts next to him, and Tommy has a feeling he’s accepting his fate as well. At least they have each other.


	3. Chapter 3

He’s the only one who can’t really sleep. Normally, it wouldn’t bother him, but this time, it means he’s left alone with his thoughts. Ranboo can’t _remember_ anything. He can’t remember how he got here, or why he and Tommy are stuck with two of the worst people on the server. He doesn’t even know how Tommy and Wilbur are even alive.

What had he missed in his enderwalk state?

It’s not the first time’s he’s blanked out and woken up somewhere different. This just happens to be the first time he feels guilty over it, because he’d blanked out in front of Tubbo. God, Tubbo. Ranboo has no idea what Tubbo’s thinking now, or even if there’s still even anything between them. His stomach is churning with guilt and nausea, because anything could happen at this point.

Ranboo forces himself to stare at Tommy. Tommy’s asleep, held tightly in Wilbur’s grasp. If he squints, he can almost see puppet strings protruding from Wilbur’s fingers and wrapping around Tommy, but Ranboo knows that’s just his vivid imagination at play. He knows Tommy wants this about as much as he does, which is not at all. But he’d also seen the way Tommy had leaned against Wilbur. It all reminds him horribly how little he knows about Tommy at all.

The kid had _crumbled._

Everything Ranboo had heard about Wilbur had been negative, how no one liked him, everyone was glad he was dead. He’d even heard that Tommy detested Wilbur, but the way Tommy’s defenses had shattered…or the way Wilbur had called them brothers… it doesn’t make any sense.

Inching closer, Ranboo shakes Tommy, trying not to wake Wilbur as well. “Tommy?” He keeps his voice low, hoping Tommy hears him. “Tommy, wake up.”

“Hmm?” Tommy turns his head toward Ranboo, blinking his eyes open. “What?”

“Can we go talk in private somewhere?” Ranboo nods pointedly at Wilbur’s sleeping form. “Just the two of us?”

There’s a moment where it seems like Tommy is going to ignore him, but he’s de-tangling himself from Wilbur before pulling himself out of bed. They glance over at Dream’s sleeping form, deciding he’s not a problem either. The pair retreat over to a corner far away from the sleeping ‘guardians’, then Ranboo grips Tommy’s arm.

“Tommy, do you want this?”

Tommy stares at Ranboo for a moment, chewing on his lip. Shaking his head, he whispers a single ‘no’. It’s enough that Ranboo’s shoulders are slumping. But Tommy’s not done speaking yet.

“Ranboo, I have Wilbur back.”

“What is he to you?” Ranboo asks. “Because he sounds off the rails, if I’m being honest. You can’t possibly-”

“I don’t want _this_ Wilbur. I don’t want either of them to do anything. God, I want to go home and stay home. I want my hotel, I want my friends, I want to be left alone. But… Wilbur’s _here,_ and alive, and I don’t know how, Ranboo. I’m confused and honestly, kind of scared.”

“You heard what he said Tommy. He and Dream are going to destroy everything. They’re the bad guys. You don’t… we don’t…”

“I know. I know they’re the bad guys. Ranboo, Wilbur was like a brother to me. He was the _only one_ I had for a long time. You…you weren’t here back then.” Tommy leans back against the wall before sliding down. “You weren’t here when Schlatt took over L’Manburg. Everyone acts like he was such a good leader but like. He exiled us on the day of the election. He had everyone try to kill us. We had to live out of a ravine, start over from scratch. That wasn’t exactly fun for either of us.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun.” Ranboo sits down next to Tommy. “Is that when Wilbur started going downhill?”

“Yeah. Everything seemed to make it worse. Nothing I said or did made any difference to him. But I still _had_ him. Yeah, he was bad and scary and turning into a prick, but I didn’t have anyone else. I was okay with our situation because I still had him and he still had me.”

“You stayed with him knowing he was going to blow up your country?”

“Yeah.” Tommy sighs heavily. “He picked me, Ranboo. Wilbur always picked me. That meant something. Because even now, when it feels like everyone else is against me, he’s still choosing me out of the crowd and making me feel like I matter.”

“You matter to a lot-”

“Shut up.” Tommy’s tone is harsh now. “You don’t get to say people care, not when you yourself have turned your back on me.” He points an accusatory finger. “No one was _there_ for me. I was exiled alone. I was tortured alone. I was trapped in prison alone. I was killed. _Alone_. Do you see a pattern here? You think I don’t know what people are saying? I’m a menace, I’m as bad as Dream, I’m annoying. You even said it. You and Tubbo both talk about it.”

“That’s banter, Tommy. No one actually means it.”

“Wilbur sat there calling me his brother and promising nothing else would happen to me. I want the pain to stop, okay? I want it all to stop. I’m tired of hurting, I’m tired of feeling like I have to defend myself. I’m sixteen years old and taking on everything. Alone, again. You even have Techno and Phil on your side. I don’t even have Sam, I have his robot.”

“Tommy, if we run away and go back, we can fix it. We can talk to your friends, we can make sure you have people to talk to.”

“Ranboo…” Tommy trails off and turns back toward Wilbur. He’s silent for a long time. “Ranboo I spent two months in the afterlife, or void, or wherever the fuck I was. I spent two months with people who…yeah, they’re my enemies. But they welcomed me with open arms. They didn’t make me feel like shit. It was a shit place and I hated it, but I felt wanted for the first time in a long time. And then I come back to life, with Dream stood over me and… I have no idea anymore. I just want the pain to stop.”

“You can’t seriously be considering sticking around here.”

“What about you?” Tommy asks. “You really want to go back to a life where you have to hide from people? I’ve noticed you acting shady and avoiding everyone when the tiniest conflict rises up. Is that the life you want? Where you don’t trust anyone and you live in self isolation? Because I’ve been isolated and separated, and it fucking sucks.”

“I know it sucks!” Ranboo’s voice rises with frustration, so he hunches over and glances back at their still-asleep handlers. Dream rolls over onto his stomach and lets out a quiet snore. He turns back to Tommy. “Maybe I want it all to stop too. I want everyone to be at peace, but I don’t want to destroy an entire world for that to happen. This isn’t right.”

“Isn’t it?” Tommy scoffs. “What even is right versus wrong anymore? No one can do anything without being labeled as a villain or a hero. I’m labeled as a hero and targeted, you’re labeled as a hero because you can touch grass.”

“Tommy that’s not…mm. Okay.” Ranboo resists the urge to snicker at that. “I see what you’re getting at. But… you remember Dream is a monster, right?”

“Yes, and he’s torn both of us apart. I don’t think there’s any coming back from this. Everyone watched us leave the prison. You don’t remember because you were…whatever that was. But we enderpearled away. I wouldn’t be surprised if people thought we were in league with them already. People already hate me.”

“No one hates either of us,” Ranboo insists firmly. “None of this is our fault. You _can’t_ think that way, or you might as well side with them.”

“Ranboo…”

“What?”

“…I don’t want to leave Wilbur.”

Ranboo waits for the cold, depressing shock to settle over him, but instead, he nods. He’d known Tommy was going to say that this whole time. In a twisted way, he can even understand Tommy’s reasoning. Seeing his brother figure come back from the dead has to be shocking; Tommy’s emotions are probably all over the place. This is only Tommy’s view, though.

“What about me though?” Ranboo’s voice cracks when he asks that. He could leave and go back, but…

“I don’t think Dream will let you.” Tommy looks away. “Ranboo I’m so sorry. Neither of us deserve this. But… what other options do we have?”

“We can leave! We can…we…” His expression crumbles when he realizes Tommy’s right. “Dream won’t let me, and… and Wilbur won’t let you…and that means…”

He remembers his earlier vision of Wilbur holding Tommy on puppet strings.

“Tommy, did we just lose our free will?”

Tommy doesn’t have to say anything. He doesn’t even have to nod, the stare alone answers everything. It’s depressing, but there’s one ray of sunshine in this dark reality. Only one: Tommy.

The pair continue to say nothing as they lean against each other. He doesn’t know when Tommy’s fallen asleep again, but he wraps an arm around him anyway. If no one else is going to look after Tommy, then he will, even if it means protecting him against Wilbur.

They’re stuck in this situation together, but Ranboo knows they can eventually get out together too. At least he has one person he can semi-trust.


	4. Chapter 4

The door opens, and Puffy walks in, stomping snow off her shoes. Her lack of energy shows how exhausted she is, but Tubbo doesn’t say anything to her. He continues to hold Michael close, not wanting to let his child go for any reason. 

Behind Puffy is Sam. Tubbo is more apprehensive about letting Sam inside, but he knows Sam had been helping Puffy look. They both look downtrodden, and Tubbo almost wants to ask if they found anything, but he can already tell, by their expressions, that they don’t come with any sort of good news.

“Tubbo,” Puffy says softly. She kneels down next to him, holding her arms out for Michael. Tubbo clings tighter to his child, scooting away from her. The small zombie piglin makes a pained noise, which Tubbo ignores. There’s no way he’s letting his son go, not at this point.

“Tubbo, please.”

“You can have a nap,” Tubbo says, fighting the lump in his throat. “You and Sam can have a lie down, and then you go back out there.”

“Tubbo,” Sam interjects. He’s smart enough to keep to the wall with his weapons out of sight. “Tubbo we searched for days. They’re not anywhere near the SMP.”

“I don’t believe you.” Tubbo’s gaze darts toward the front door, as if expecting Ranboo to walk in. He wants that to be the case. He wants to see Ranboo waltz in with a sarcastic comment, or an apology for what happened. An apology... 

Ranboo had attempted to kill him. 

The person Tubbo had grown extremely close to, and even ‘married’ as a joke had made an attempt on his life. Tubbo still doesn’t know how to process this. He doesn’t know what he wants to feel in the first place. It’d been clear Ranboo hadn’t been acting on his own accord, but at the same time, he doesn’t know why Ranboo would up and leave either. Everything is still so fresh in his mind, including _Tommy._

It’s hard to believe Tommy is not only alive, but gone again. It would have hurt far less had Tommy not come back to life at all. It’d have hurt less if _Wilbur_ had stayed dead, but seeing them both walk out, with Wilbur looking so smug... had that been the same Wilbur Tommy had considered a brother? The same Wilbur who wanted to have his country and live in peace, once upon a time?

Does that mean Tommy’s personality had changed too? Tubbo doesn’t want to think about it. He doesn’t want to think about how death possibly changes people.

He hugs Michael closer, taking in several deep breaths. “They’re alive, they’re going to come back,” he whispers. “You have to find them. They’re out there somewhere, I know they are.”

“We went out two thousand blocks, Tubbo. In all directions, there’s no trace of them.” Puffy holds her hands out again. “May I please hold him? I need a hug too.”

“You can get a hug from Sam or Eret,” Tubbo snaps. “Michael needs me.”

“You’re suffocating him, Tubbo,” Sam murmurs. “You need to let him breathe.”

“Why are you even here?” Tubbo snarls. He lurches to his feet, lifting Michael up into his arms. “You’re the one who let Dream go! How is Wilbur alive? How is _Tommy_ alive? What happened with Ranboo? This is all your fault!”

“I had no choice.” Sam hangs his head. “They threatened to kill me and revive me on repeat if I didn’t let them go. They also threatened to come after everyone else with the same treatment.”

“Tommy said that?”

“No. Dream had already done that with Tommy, then he brought Wilbur back. Tubbo, I had no idea Dream could do that. You didn’t see what I saw, it was... it was really dark.”

“You know what’s really dark, Sam?” Tubbo backs into the opposite wall, now putting space between himself and Puffy. “Letting them walk free because you didn’t want to die.”

“Tubbo-” 

“-Or my husband trying to kill me! You all stood and watched! This is the second time everyone stood around me, watching my life being threatened. What is _wrong_ with all of you? Now you can’t even go hunt down Dream and Wilbur and bring back my friends! Kill Dream, kill Wilbur, I don’t care. They’re out there somewhere. Stop being cowards!”

“Tubbo _stop!”_ Puffy chokes back a sob. “Tubbo we’re _trying,_ we’re trying so hard. We’re so tired. We’re _all tired,_ and we know you’re hurting. We’ll find them, but you have to go easy on us. I loved Tommy too.”

“Not enough, or he wouldn’t be Dream’s toy again!” Tubbo jerks his head angrily toward Sam. “Sam let Dream walk out of the prison with Tommy. Sam did _nothing,_ he just-”

“I can’t fight him, Wilbur _and_ Ranboo,” Sam cuts in. “Tubbo, we all know how angry you are. We know you want them back the most, but you _have_ to stop blaming everyone else. The problem is Dream and Wilbur, not us. You need us, you need to let us help you. Especially where Michael is concerned.”

“You’re not allowed near him,” Tubbo grumbles stubbornly. “No one’s allowed to hold him for awhile. If you’re not going to go look for them, then get out of my house. I need to be alone with _my_ son.”

“That’s not fair,” Puffy whispers. “We’re trying.”

“Yeah,” Tubbo snaps. “Because you all did so well with your other kids. I don’t trust any of you with Michael right now. Get out.”

“We’ll come back in the morning before we head out again,” Puffy says. Her voice is now cold, with a fleeting expression of pain that’s almost missed.“We’ll get Eret and some of the others to help. Okay?”

This time, Tubbo doesn’t respond. Instead, he carries Michael up the ladder and into the nursery, leaving the other two downstairs. It’s hard to concentrate on his own thoughts and emotions when both the adults are trying to guilt trip into feeling sorry for them. Can’t they see how much this is effecting him?

Closing the hatch, Tubbo listens out for the sound of them leaving. He can see them out the window, walking away. He doesn’t let himself keep watching them, because he’s now gazing out toward the horizon. If he could see Tommy and Ranboo, if he could only know what they’re thinking or doing or _feeling,_ he’d have some peace of mind.

Until then, all he has is Michael, and that’s not enough to fill the void in his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

“Ranboo, come with me.” 

Dream’s voice is curt, almost with an annoyed undertone to it. Ranboo doesn’t hesitate, not wanting to cause trouble. With a glance over in Tommy’s direction, Ranboo gets to his feet and follows Dream out the front door. He glances back toward their cabin, trying to familiarize himself with the surroundings. 

They’re in what looks like a taiga, and the cabin they’re in blends in with the trees and even the cobblestone surrounding the area. It’s not a bad cabin inside, nor outside. There’s a sense of comfort here, but Ranboo is on edge all the same.

“What are we doing?”

“I want to get to know you.” Dream leads him further away from the cabin. “We’re going to give Tommy some time to get to know Wilbur all over again, but you and I need to speak.”

“I don’t know what you want with me,” Ranboo admits. He falls in step next to Dream, trying to watch him without tripping over anything. Dream had cleaned up since exiting the prison, no longer looking so disheveled and broken. His hair is pulled back in a small ponytail, and his mask is sitting on the side of his head, instead of on his face. His clothes are the same as they’d been, except washed and sewed back together. Dream looks intimidating all over again.

“I don’t want anything from you,” Dream counters. He shoots Ranboo a grin. “I’m not as awful as Tommy’d been saying about me, you know.”

“You hurt him,” Ranboo points out bluntly. “You _abused_ him. Don’t bother lying about it either, because we can all see how petrified he is of you.”

“Yeah, and Wilbur about ripped my head off for it.” Dream’s voice is far too casual for this conversation. There’s something not right about him. That much is obvious, but now that he’s free and cleaned up, he seems to exude a raw sort of power that scares Ranboo. 

It’s also intriguing.

“Ranboo, I’m not trying to be a villain,” Dream continues. “I once had everything, and I lost it all. I made some wrong choices and went down a stupid path that led to my imprisonment, but we’ve all done some stupid things.” 

Dream stops walking then, waving his arm out. “We’re here.”

“Where is _here?”_ Ranboo looks around the area they’re in. They’re still in a taiga, but there’s what looks like a campsite. There’s a fireplace, a couple of tents, and... 

...and there’s a hole in the ground.

Ranboo glances at Dream nervously, before hedging toward the opening. “Dream, what’s this?”

“You tell me,” Dream says. He gives a grin that’s too wide for his face. “You’re the one who dug it.”

“I don’t remember.” Ranboo stops moving, now staring fully at Dream. “I haven’t done anything, especially not for you.”

“I’m not controlling you, if that’s what you’re getting at. I don’t have that kind of power. Wilbur, maybe, but he’s not interested in you, he’s interested in Tommy.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Ranboo moves away from the hole. Whatever’s at the bottom, he doesn’t want to know. He wants to go back to Snowchester and be safe with Tubbo and Michael. Hell, he’ll drag Tommy back with him if it means Tommy’s safe too.

“Of course you do. We’ve been communicating for months, Ran. We’ve been working together for a lot longer than you realize.” Dream laughs. Ranboo expects it to sound sinister, but Dream’s laugh sounds _normal,_ like he’s laughing at a random joke instead of Ranboo’s missing memories. “Look inside it, Ranboo. You’ll believe me then.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“You trust Tommy, don’t you?” Dream waves his arm toward the hole. “I’m serious, look inside. It’s nothing bad, I’m not going to do anything to you. We’re past this point.”

“I do trust Tommy. It’s only because of him that I’m still here.” He still doesn’t move. 

“I know.” Dream sighs and moves toward one of the tents. Ranboo watches him carefully, trying to figure out what he’s doing now. 

“I was manipulated into coming here,” Ranboo offers. “I didn’t come here of my own free will. You have me under some kind of spell.”

“Like I said, I don’t have that kind of power. I didn’t swing a watch and hypnotize you, I didn’t plant subliminal messages into your head.”

“Yeah, but you can trigger it somehow. You can use some sort of... of code or keyword to use me. I don’t remember coming here, but I woke up with a sword aimed at Tommy. What did you do to me?”

“Nothing you didn’t agree to beforehand.” Dream finally exits the tent, holding out a book. Ranboo refuses to touch it, though his gaze is locked on the leather. “Take it and read it,” Dream insists. “I’m serious, you’ll understand.”

Hesitantly, Ranboo reaches for the book, grabbing at it as if it’s tainted. With another suspicious glance toward Dream, he opens the book and reads the signature. 

It’s his handwriting.

But it’s not in a language he understands. 

Frowning, Ranboo turns the page. There’s more writing, but again, in a language he doesn’t understand. It’s all unmistakably his handwriting though. 

“This is useless,” Ranboo says. “I don’t understand any of it.”

“Read the last page,” Dream says. “I’d recite it out loud but you wouldn’t believe me.”

Licking his lips, he does as asked. Flipping to the final page of the book, Ranboo’s breath hitches when he sees what’s written there.

_**“Once the four of us are united, everything will start falling into place. I just need to keep trusting Dream, he knows what he’s doing more than any of us know. I just hope Tommy isn’t too hurt in the crossfire, he’s still fragile. Maybe seeing Wilbur again will help. I’ll remain by his side as long as he needs us. It’ll all be okay, I hope it’ll be okay. It’s us against the world.”** _

He doesn’t remember sitting down. Ranboo drops the book to the ground as he lands hard, scrambling back away from it. No wonder he’d been afraid to touch it, it really is tainted. 

“I didn’t write that, I didn’t have anything to do with this, I’m-”

Dream crouches down in front of him. He takes the mask off, tossing it to the side, and reaches out for Ranboo, grabbing at his wrists. “You’re shaking,” Dream says quietly. 

_Why does he sound so comforting?_

“Ranboo, look at me, please.”

“You’re crazy,” Ranboo mutters with a laugh. “You’re all off your rocker. I’m not a part of this.”

“Ranboo, it was never my intention to hurt you, or use you. Like I said, I made mistakes that I shouldn’t have made.”

“You...but Tommy...”

“I tried to mold Tommy. I made the mistake of thinking I could replace Wilbur, but Tommy will only ever listen to him, never anyone else. His exile was just one mistake after another, and believe me, Wilbur was pissed at me for that. Almost backed out of our deal for that alone.” 

“How...” Ranboo’s voice cracks. “How long have I been working for you?”

“I don’t think you should ask questions you’re not ready to hear answers for.” There’s a warning note there, and Ranboo heeds it. Dream’s right in this instance, Ranboo really doesn’t want to know. He feels disgusted, almost _sick._

No, he really is sick. He’s leaning over and dry heaving against the ground, leaves and dirt and bits of stone getting all over his clothes and face. He wishes he could actually vomit something up, but nothing’s coming out easily. Even worse is the fact that Dream is rubbing his back and whispering soothing words to him.

He remembers the question he’d asked Tommy the other night. _‘Have we just lost our free will?’_ At the time he hadn’t put much weight into it. But looking back, Ranboo realizes he hadn’t had his free will in a very long time.

“Hey hey hey.” Dream finally pulls him upright. Unable to move, Ranboo leans heavily against Dream, fighting back the urge to cry. Crying hurts, and he doesn’t want to hurt. “Ranboo, listen to me. It’s okay. I’ll make it okay for you. I won’t hurt you, I won’t use you. Just... look in the hole please?”

He nods this time. Weakly, he pushes away from Dream, shifting closer to the giant hole in the ground. The surface seems to be made out of blackstone, so when Ranboo reaches the edge, he peers down.

There’s an end portal down below.

He can see the shimmering galaxy that makes up the portal, the endless _nothing_. It doesn’t make any sense, why would there be an end portal? Why would it be activated? Why...

When he speaks, his voice is still broken. “Are we going there?”

“Yes, eventually.” Dream pulls him upright. “You know what lies in the end, right?” 

“I heard...I heard rumors.” Ranboo’s drooling all over himself. He wipes his mouth as he leans against Dream again. “It’s not good. We shouldn’t-”

“I want to release the dragon,” Dream continues, as if Ranboo hadn’t even spoken at all. “Wilbur and I both want to bring it here. It would do a lot more than withers and TNT. You agreed to it once, telling me you wanted things to go back to simpler times. A dragon could do that.”

There’s no comeback this time. The enderman hybrid has no words to say. He’s horrified, he’s sick to his stomach, and knows this is the worst plan. But...

Dream is pushing him away gently and picking the book back up. He dusts it off and hands it back to Ranboo. “You’re scared,” Dream says bluntly. “I know you’re putting up a resistance, but in your other state, you wanted this. You agreed to it, you willingly helped put all the plans in motion. So reach into that part of you and _remember_ something, for once. If not for me or yourself, then do it for Tommy.”

“Tommy’s going to be heartbroken,” Ranboo whispers.

“Tommy will be _fine.”_ Dream is grinning brightly. He moves closer, hair almost reminiscent of gold in the sunlight. “We’re all going to be fine. He has Wilbur, it’s all he’s ever wanted. What’s holding you back?”

Ranboo thinks of Tubbo and Michael. He doesn’t want to give Dream any leverage, so he slumps his shoulders forward, letting himself give in. Memories aren’t coming back, but whatever makes Dream happy, right?

“Nothing,” Ranboo whispers. “Nothing’s holding me back.”

“So you’ll let yourself remember?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. Let’s go back home, alright?” Dream begins walking again. Ranboo watches him for a moment, glancing back down at the portal. With a shiver, he jogs to catch back up with Dream, trying to push the conversation out of his mind. 

This time, his mind isn’t letting him forget anything. No memory book is needed, because the image of a lit end portal is forever burned into his mind, and Ranboo knows that if a dragon were to be released, it’d be entirely his fault.

_Did we just lose our free will?_

Can’t lose what you never had to begin with, can you?


End file.
